Healing Fractures with Swimming Lessons
by sass-master-lucifer
Summary: Nico's stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean with three happy couples and a broken heart. They don't like him, and he doesn't like them. Can he heal? Or will he never smile again? No slash, no in your face pairings, just Nico fluff.


_**Hey guys...okay, so this is just a little one shot that I thought up when I realised that since Percy is scared of flying, Nico's probably scared of the water! Also, I really ship Percabeth, but I want Nico to be happy too...so here you go! Reviews would be much appreciated!**_

_**Do you really need a disclaimer? Consider this one-shot disclaimed.**_

Nico sat staring out to sea. Being onboard a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean with three lovey dovey couples and an annoying mechanic is not the best thing for any heartsick person. Especially the fourteen year-old social outcast son of Hades, whose first and only crush happened to be a half of one of those sickeningly happy couples, and was completely oblivious to his feelings. Ugh. Nico rolled his eyes in disgust with himself. He needed to get over this! Stupid feelings…sometimes he wished he was dead inside, like every other resident of his father's domain. Death sometimes seemed so much more peaceful than life. So much easier…

Yet Nico would never commit suicide. Sure, he'd thought about it, but then his friends would have to save the world with his death weighing heavily on their minds, and that was unacceptable. What if Hazel got distracted in the middle of a battle and got injured, or killed? And may the underworld forbid that Percy get himself hurt…no, don't think about him! Nico sighed, completely fed up and resigned with his lot in life. He promised himself he would see this quest through to the end, and then disappear – forever.

If anyone knew the truth about him, they'd hate him even more than they already did. He was…gay. There, he'd admitted it. As someone from the 30's where being gay was taboo he despised himself, and his stupid feelings towards a certain son of Poseidon. There were reasons, so many reasons why the living hated and distrusted him, and he wouldn't give them any more cause to loathe him. Only the dead accepted him, and that was out of fear.

Still, he sat on the very edge of the Argo II, the tips of his toes dangling in the ocean as they floated along. He hated the ocean because of what it represented but at the same time it was so very beautiful, and not just because of a certain green-eyed demigod. The rolling waves and glistening sunlight made a beautiful scene. It was just a shame he didn't have someone to share it with.

"Hey Death Breath, what are you doing out here?" Nico tensed, then forced himself to relax. Hopefully, _he_ would just go away.

"Nothing. Just…watching the sea…I mean the world going by." Nico felt like face-palming; could he be anymore obvious?

Percy dropped onto the edge of the trireme next to him, sitting in the same position except with his longer legs his entire feet dragged in the waves. "Huh. You seem kinda sad. Mind if I stay a while?"

Yes. "No."

"Awesome."

For a while the two boys sat in a silence that was awkward for one and ignorant bliss for the other. No prizes for guessing which. Nico sat gazing straight ahead, no longer enjoying his peaceful solitude. In fact, he was as stiff as a board and desperately trying not to do anything ridiculous. He was definitely no longer enjoying himself. But for some reason, he couldn't get himself to move.

_Just get up and leave. He already thinks you're an unsociable weirdo anyway, one more weird thing can't hurt._

Still, he kept sitting next to Percy, unable to move away or get closer to him. Stuck in limbo. Ha, there was a perfect metaphor for his situation. Hades' waiting rooms anyone?

Suddenly the ship tilted dramatically to one side, and nearly tossed Nico and Percy into the water. Leo called out "Sorry guys! Technical difficulties!" from the cabin. The boat began to slow to a stop and a series of colourful words mixing between Spanish and English floated through the air.

Percy began to laugh with glee and lent even further over the side until it seemed that he wasn't even sat on the boat anymore, but merely hanging on thin air. His green eyes shone in the sea mist and the salt coated his ebony hair. At the same time Nico swallowed a scream and jumped back away from the water, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the boat's railings in panic. Oh gods of Olympus, he'd nearly got tossed into the sea!

"Haha! That was great Nico, let's do it again!" Percy crowed. "Nico…Nico? Hey Death Breath, what's wrong?"

"That…" said Nico in a shaky voice. "That was way too close for comfort."

Percy frowned in his signature confused look, and Nico almost sighed at how cute he was. Damn man, get a grip! Nico forcibly turned his thoughts back to his close encounter with the ocean and blanched.

Realisation dawned across Percy's face. "You're afraid of the water?"

Nico shuddered. "Obviously Seaweed Brain, you're scared of the sky aren't you? Because it Zeus' domain, and he doesn't like you, so he might decide have some fun by blasting you out of the air? But nowadays you aren't scared because Jason's around and Zeus / Jupiter wouldn't kill his own son, _and_ you're part of the prophecy of seven. You're too important for him to kill right now, you might be the one to save his ass. Well I'm not. I'm fair game for Big Blue and Old Sparky if they decide to take a pot-shot. I'm… well, at least I hope I'm safe on this stupid ship because you and Jason are around, but it doesn't mean I like flying through the air or floating on the sea. And I'd definitely rather not actually go into their domains in person. That's just asking to go to Hades. Permanently."

Nico sighed, his black mood from earlier descending back onto him. He flopped to the deck in the middle of the ship, as far away from the water as he could get, and lent back on the ships mast.

"Earth, sea or sky I can't go anywhere, I'm not safe anywhere at all anymore. Gaia, Poseidon and Zeus, how's that for powerful enemies? Even in the Underworld Persephone's trying to kill me, and at the moment Dad's too incapacitated to help protect me. I just…" Nico trailed off.

Percy hoisted himself off the side of the boat and walked towards Nico's slouching form in the middle of the ship. He crouched down next to him, resting a hand on the younger boys shoulder. Percy wasn't the best at comforting people, but he wanted to let Nico know that he cared. Nico started at the contact, but then simply leaned away from Percy so his hand fell back to his side.

"Hey Nico, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive or bring up painful topics. It just never crossed my mind that you've been feeling the same fear I do when flying for this entire trip. Seriously though, I promise when I'm around you don't have to fear the water; I'll keep you safe cuz. So…do you wanna go swimming?"

Nico looked up at the sea-green eyes of Percy, but for once he wasn't thinking bout what would happen if he kissed the boy. Rather, he was blushing madly, but for an entirely different reason.

The increasingly awkward silence dragged on.

"Well Nico? I'm kinda cramping up here!"

"Uh…I, uh…I mean…I…I can't swim." He chocked out glumly. Gods above the embarrassment.

"What?" Percy was so surprised he fell out of his crouching position and onto his butt. Usually this would've invited a round of sniggers, but Nico was too busy burying his blushing face in his hands, and there was no-one else about to witness it.

"Yeah. Go ahead and laugh. The Ghost King can't swim. Nearly every six year old on the planet can swim, but I can't. Hardee-ha."

"Wow. Uh…I wasn't gonna laugh, y'know? It makes sense that you avoided the water, I've always avoided flying. Maybe…I could teach you how to swim? Yeah," Percy cried, jumping up and not waiting for an answer "That'll be great fun! C'mon cuz, let's go!"

Percy grabbed Nico by the hand and hoisted him up and onto his feet. Nico still looked worried and kept his arms wrapped around himself as Percy towed him back to the edge of the ship. Finally Nico stood right on the edge of the ship, his toes curled over the edge. He became paler and paler until he looked like one of the ghosts that he ruled.

Percy saw his cousin's total fear, he wasn't as oblivious as everyone liked to believe. He saw the way Nico often flinched away from him and seemed nervous around him, and thought he knew the cause. Hell, Percy still felt guilty about Bianca, it was his fault after all.

Percy ruffled Nico's hair in a brotherly gesture meant to reassure the boy. Strangely, it did. Nico uncurled his arms and swung them loosely at his sides, and his face became slightly less pale.

"Alright Seaweed Brain, I'll have a go. But if I drown, I swear I'm going to haunt you from down in the Underworld."

"Oh ye of little faith."

Nico laughed and felt something broken inside of him heal up, just a little. How long had it been since he'd laughed? Tartarus had beaten the already rare smiles out of him, but maybe he could recover them.

A devilish smile snuck onto Nico face. Without warning he took a few steps away from the edge and kicked Percy into the water. Percy popped back up a few seconds later, spluttering insults and promising revenge. Nico couldn't stop himself snickering, the look of surprise on Percy's face was classic! What he would do for a camera.

Even though he'd just been kicked of a boat, Percy was very glad that it'd happened. Nico was smiling, laughing even! Percy grinned his famous mischievous smirk and a tendril of water sneaked out of the water beside him. Nico was laughing so hard he couldn't see, so the first he knew about it was when something coiled around his ankle and dragged him into the water.

Percy wanted to keep Nico happy, not scare his little brother, so he kept a dense patch of water around the boy to keep him above the water. He needn't of worried though. Nico smiled vampirically and pointed at Percy.

"Oh, it is so on brother."

For the rest of the afternoon shrieks and laughter echoed around the ship. Eventually the entire crew joined in on the prank war, and everyone warmed up to Nico. He was no longer the broken, sharp edged son of Hades. No, he wasn't fixed, but he was on his way to getting better, and to being accepted.

And maybe, just maybe, he was healing his broken heart too.


End file.
